Bourbon Balls

• Bourbon Balls
• Chocolate Bourbon Balls
• Christmas Bourbon Balls
• Hot-Spiced Bourbon Balls
• Kentucky Bourbon Balls
• Whiskey Balls

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Bourbon Balls

Southern Living - 1986

Makes 36 (3-dozen)

Ingredients
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup sifted powdered sugar, plus more for dusting candy/cookies
2.0-oz (1/4 cup) bourbon
1.0-oz (2 Tbsp) light corn syrup
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped pecans


Preparation
Stir together the cocoa and 1 cup powdered sugar. Combine the liquids and add to cocoa mixture; stir well.

Toss together crushed wafers and pecans; add to cocoa mixture and mix well.

Shape into 3/4-inch balls and roll in additional powdered sugar to coat. Space on wax paper-lined flat tray to dry (read set).

Store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.

Source: Southern Living, Christmas Cookies (Birmingham: Oxmoor House, 1986), 60

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Christmas Bourbon Balls

JL Charlotte

Makes 40 pieces

Ingredients

1 (6-oz) pkg chocolate chips

1/4 cup water

1.0-oz (2 Tbsp) light corn syrup

2.0-oz (1/4 cup) bourbon

1 cup chopped pecans

2.5 cups vanilla wafers, crushed fine

Garnish:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

In a large saucepan over Low heat, melt the chocolate chips in 1/4 cup water. Stir in the corn syrup and the bourbon; add more bourbon if you like stronger flavor. 

Add the pecans and wafer crumbs; mix well and let stand for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, line a flat tray with wax paper and set aside.

Roll into small balls; then, roll in powdered sugar. Store in airtight container between wax paper layers.

Source: Junior League of Charlotte, Inc as republished by The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc, in The Junior League Celebration Cookbook: A Treasury of the 400 Most Requested Recipes from Junior League Cookbooks (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2000), 372

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Kentucky Bourbon Balls

JL Louisville - 1988

Makes 54 (4.5-dozen)

Ingredients

5 cups crushed vanilla wafer crumbs

2 cups powdered sugar + more for dusting candy/cookies

4 Tbsp cocoa

2 cups chopped nuts

3.0-oz (6 Tbsp) light corn syrup

About 8.0-oz (1 cup) bourbon

Notes:  "These will keep in refrigerator or freezer for a long time. You may want to re-roll in sugar if they sit for a while."

Preparation

In large bowl combine first 4 ingredients (cookie crumbs through nuts); stir with a large spoon. 

Add the liquid ingredients; mix well with spoon.

With about a Tbsp of the vanilla wafer mixture, roll between palms of hand to make a ball. After all balls have been made, roll in additional powdered sugar.

Store in a cool place; bring to room temperature before serving.

Source: Junior League of Louisville, Inc, Cordon Blue Grass Blue Ribbon Recipes from Kentucky (Memphis: Wimmer Brothers, 1988), 264

Related:
Irish Whiskey Balls
Whiskey Balls

The Mint Julep & other Kentucky drinks

This post has recipes / links for these drinks:

• The Mint Julep, JL Louisville
• Bourbon and Champagne Cocktail, Woodford Reserve
• Evil Twin Martini, The Oakroom, Louisville
• Seelbach Cocktail, Seelbach Hotel

The Mint Julep recipe is from the Junior League of Louisville, Inc. 

Image credit

The Mint Julep

Ingredients
For julep mix:
Water
Fresh mint leaves (preferably small and tender, according to David Wondrich)
Bourbon

For each serving:
5-inch silver mint julep cup (the metal retains cold temperature, keeping crushed ice from melting too fast)
Shaved ice
Straw, cut 1/2-inch above the top of the cup/glass (see Notes)
Powdered sugar
Mint sprig


Notes:  Julep straws are thinner than normal to assure the proper blending of ingredients (and brings you closer to the mint).

Preparation

Make a simple syrup by boiling together 2-parts sugar to 1-part water for 5 minutes.

Make a Bourbon-Mint Extract by piling mint leaves in a clean white handkerchief, gathering ends around mint, and dipping the leaf end in a small bowl of 3.0- to 4.0-ozs of bourbon and twisting hard.

Make Bourbon-Mint Syrup by mixing extract with simple syrup until the first 'ping' of bitterness is reached (from mint not bourbon).

For Julep Mix, combine 1-part bourbon-mint syrup with 6.5-parts bourbon; chill well. Store julep mix in glass bottles in refrigerator ('keeps forever').

Pack julep cup with shaved ice and pour in 2.5- to 3.0-ozs of chilled julep mix. Add straw, powdered sugar and mint sprig. Serve with a napkin or small linen doily.

Source: Junior League of Louisville, Inc, Cordon Blue Grass Blue Ribbon Recipes from Kentucky (Memphis: Wimmer Brothers, 1988), 27.

The Bourbon and Champagne Cocktail recipe is from Woodford Reserve.

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Bourbon and Champagne Cocktail

Makes 1

Ingredients
1.0-oz Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon

0.5-oz Vanilla Syrup

4.0-oz Champagne

Garnish:

1/2 vanilla bean

Preparation

Mix the bourbon and syrup in a Champagne flute. Top with Champagne, and garnish with a vanilla bean.

Source: The Woodford Reserve Culinary Cocktail Tour: a Journey with Bourbon, Compiled by Peggy Stevens and Ronni Lundy (Louisville: Brown-Forman Corporation, 2005).

The Evil Twin Martini recipe is from The Oakroom, Louisville. 

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Evil Twin Martini

Makes 1

Ingredients
0.5-oz vodka
0.5-oz white chocolate liqueur
0.5-oz dark chocolate liqueur
0.5-oz raspberry liqueur

Garnish:
Raspberry

Preparation

Place liquid ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh raspberry.

Source: The Oakroom, Louisville via Food & Wine Cocktails 2010: : The Ultimate Source for 160-Plus Terrific Cocktail & Party-Food Recipes from the World's Biggest Talents. (American Express Publishing Corporation, 2010).

Named after the Louisville, Kentucky hotel where it was first crafted in 1917, the Seelbach Cocktail is a classic mix of bourbon, Cointreau and both Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. ~Imbibe Magazine

Jeff Moore of Garnish Food Photography via Imbibe Magazine

Seelbach Cocktail

Makes 1

Ingredients
1.0-oz Bourbon

0.5-oz Cointreau

7 dashes of Angostura Bitters

7 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

5.0-oz Champagne or Sparkling Wine

Garnish:

Lemon or orange twist

Tools:

Bar spoon

Champagne flute

Julep strainer

Knife

Mixing glass

Preparation

Combine bourbon, Cointreau, and bitters in a mixing glass; add ice, and stir. Strain into chilled champagne flute. 

Top with Champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon or orange twist.

Image via Wikipedia

Source: Imbibe Magazine

Last Updated December 16, 2012